Vehicle wash system with side brushes having three or more axial orientations

ABSTRACT

A vehicle wash system includes a vehicle treatment area and an overhead frame portion supporting a pair of side brushes. The side brushes are configured to treat the lateral sides of the vehicle and may also treat the front and back of the vehicle. The side brushes are configured to pivot between a vertical position, an outwardly angled position, and inwardly angled position. The side brushes may travel along the side of the vehicle in both the vertical and pivoted orientations. The side brushes may make multiple passes along the side of the vehicle, and the side brushes may change orientation during or between passes to treat different segments of the vehicle. The side brushes may be actively pivoted or may pivot in response to contacting the vehicle when shifted laterally into contact with the vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of previously filed U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/596,005, filed Dec. 7, 2017, titled “AnImproved Rollover Vehicle Wash System,” the entire contents of which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

This application is related to co-filed United States patentapplications, filed Dec. 7, 2018, with reference made to the TITLE andAttorney Docket Number, including: VEHICLE WASH SYSTEM HAVING AVERTICALLY OPERATED TOP BRUSH WITH PIVOTING ABILITY, Attorney DocketNumber 52107-188; VEHICLE WASH SYSTEM HAVING A VERTICALLY OPERATED TOPBRUSH WITH COLLAPSIBLE GUIDE TRACK SYSTEM, Attorney Docket Number52107-186; VEHICLE WASH SYSTEM WITH SIDE BRUSHES HAVING TWO OR MOREAXIAL ORIENTATIONS, Attorney Docket Number 52107-187; VEHICLE WASHSYSTEM HAVING A VERTICALLY OPERATED TOP BRUSH WITH A SCISSOR SUPPORTMECHANISM, Attorney Docket Number 52107-197; VEHICLE WASH SYSTEM WITHPIVOTING SIDE BRUSHES AND METHOD FOR AVOIDING VEHICLE ANTENNA, AttorneyDocket Number 52107-198; VEHICLE WASH SYSTEM WITH PIVOTING SIDE BRUSHESAND METHOD FOR AVOIDING VEHICLE SIDE MIRRORS, Attorney Docket Number52107-199; VEHICLE WASH SYSTEM HAVING A MULTI-SPEED CAR WASH BRUSH,Attorney Docket Number 52107-200, and the entire contents of each of theabove listed co-filed applications is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a vehicle wash system forcleaning an exterior surface of a vehicle. More specifically, thepresent disclosure relates to a vehicle wash system that includes sidebrushes having two or more axial orientations.

BACKGROUND

Vehicle wash systems are in common use to clean passenger vehicles suchas automobiles. These vehicle wash systems may include a number ofwashing components that can be used to clean different sections of thevehicle. For example, wash systems may include a top brush that cleansthe top surfaces of the vehicle and side brushes that clean the sidesurfaces of the vehicle. The top brush is typically raised and loweredrelative to the vehicle to clean the varying heights inherent in the topsurfaces of vehicles. The top brush may also be moved fore-and-aft totravel along the length of the vehicle, or the vehicle may be conveyedpast the top brush to cover the length of the vehicle. The side brushes,similar to the top brush, may be translated fore-and-aft relative to thevehicle to cover the length of the vehicle, either by translating thebrush relative to stationary vehicle, or conveying the vehicle paststationary brushes.

Traditional side brushes may be disposed on ground engaged rails andextend vertically from the rails, and may travel forward and rearwardalong the side surface of the vehicle to clean the side of the vehiclewhile rotating about a vertical axis. The side surfaces of vehicles aretypically curved in a convex manner, with the side window glass beingtilted inward from a middle portion of the body away from the componentframe. Similarly, the rocker panels of the vehicle may tilt inwardly atthe bottom of the vehicle toward the component frame. Accordingly, avertical cylindrical shaped brush may be ineffective in cleaning each ofthese surfaces. In this approach, the brush may not adequately contactand impact the angled top and bottom portions when the middle portion isbeing properly cleaned. If the brush is moved inward to more effectivelycontact the angled upper and lower portions, the middle portion of theside surface may be impacted with too much force, which could damage thesurface finish or lead to an undesirable increase in noise.

One solution to treat the angled side surfaces of the vehicle is to useside brushes that have a contoured and non-cylindrical profile thattends to correspond to the typical vehicle profile. The brushes may haveenlarged diameters at the top and the bottom of the brush, such thatthey will reach the upper and lower portions. However, these brushes arenot specifically tailored to the vehicles, which can lead to an unevenwash. Moreover, the larger diameters result in a greater surface feetper minute contact with the brush at the upper and lower portions,causing a greater impact force on the top and bottom of the vehicle,leading to undesirable increases in noise and potential damage to thevehicle.

Additionally, the increased diameter of the upper portion may extendover the hood or the rear of the vehicle while the middle portion iscleaning the fender areas. Accordingly, the larger diameter portion ofthe brush may contact the vehicle antenna and damage the vehicleantenna.

In view of the above, there is a need for an improved vehicle washsystem.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

It is therefore an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehiclewash system with improved cleaning of the side surfaces of differentvehicle types.

It is another aspect of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle washsystem with improved cleaning abilities.

According to the above and other aspects, a vehicle washing system isprovided. The vehicle wash system includes a side brush disposedadjacent a vehicle treatment area, the vehicle treatment area having avertical height, a longitudinal length, and a lateral width andconfigured to receive a vehicle to be washed. The side brush defines acentral axis about which the side brush rotates, the central axisextending between a top end and a bottom end of the side brush. A brushshaft extends along the central axis and supports the side brush,wherein the orientation of the brush shaft controls the orientation ofthe side brush. The brush shaft is pivotable between at least threepositions including: a first position, wherein the brush shaft isoriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal length of the vehicletreatment area, a second position, wherein the brush shaft is orientedat an oblique angle relative to the first position such that the bottomportion of the brush shaft is disposed laterally outward relative to thetop portion of the brush shaft, and a third position, wherein the brushshaft is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first positionsuch that the bottom portion of the brush shaft is disposed laterallyinward relative to the top portion of the brush shaft. A control systemis in communication with the brush shaft to effect movement thereofbetween the first position and the second position in response to aconfiguration of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other aspects of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated, asthe same becomes better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle wash system having an overhead railstructure and a frame supported on the rail structure, with the framesupporting side brushes extending downward;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a vehicle for being washed in thevehicle wash system;

FIG. 3 illustrates a view of a prior art vehicle wash system having acontoured side brush with enlarged upper and lower diameters inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the wash system, including a topbrush oriented horizontally and a pair of side brushes orientedvertically in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of the wash system, with the top brushremoved;

FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of the side brushes with both of thebrushes being pivoted inwardly in accordance with an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of the side brushes with both of thebrushes being pivoted outwardly in accordance with an aspect of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates one side brush with three different positions andanother side brush oriented vertically in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates one side brush pivoted outward and with an actuatoractuated and the other side brush oriented vertically with an actuatorin a nominal position in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 10 illustrates a single side brush and a three-position actuator inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 illustrates the actuator in a nominal position in accordancewith an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 illustrates the actuator in an inwardly pivoted position inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 illustrates the actuator in an outwardly pivoted position inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 illustrates a side brush in a pivoted position that isself-adjusting in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 illustrates a side brush in another pivoted position that isself-adjusting in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;and

FIG. 16 illustrates the side brushes in an outwardly pivoted position toincrease visibility during vehicle pull-through in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle wash system, which may beconfigured as a rollover type system where the vehicle remainsstationary and the various treatment components may be translated and/ormoved with respect to the vehicle to perform the vehicle wash process.As is known to one of ordinary skill in the art, a rollover wash systemcarries various components that treat a vehicle in a predeterminedsequence as the rollover wash system makes passes over the length of avehicle. It will be appreciated that various aspects, components, orportions of the disclosed vehicle wash system may be utilized oremployed as part of a conveyor wash system where a vehicle is conveyedpast stationary wash components to treat the vehicle exterior as ittravels through the wash facility. It will be appreciated that thevarious aspects, components, or portions of the disclosed vehicle washsystem may be employed in connection with a variety of otherapplications outside of a rollover or conveyor vehicle wash system, suchas a manual wash or self-service wash process.

With reference to FIG. 1, according to an aspect, the disclosed vehiclewash system 10 includes a vehicle treatment area 12 where a vehicle 14is to be positioned in a vehicle wash for treatment thereof. As shown,the wash system 10 can include a frame 16 disposed adjacent the vehicletreatment area 12. According to an aspect, the frame 16 may be supportedon an overhead rail system 18 such that the frame 16 may reciprocateforwardly and rearwardly on the overhead rail system 18 in order totravel over the length of the vehicle treatment area 12 and the vehicle14 therein. According to one aspect, the frame 16 does not travel onground engaging rails. The frame 16 may also support a plurality oftreatment components configured to treat an exterior surface of thevehicle 14. According to an aspect as shown in the Figures, the frame 16may support a top brush 20 (FIG. 4) oriented generally horizontal to theground and extending laterally across the vehicle treatment area 12 anddisposed for treatment of an upper surface of the vehicle 14. The frame16 may also support a pair of side brushes 22, 24 configured to travelalong and treat either side of a vehicle 14 in the vehicle treatmentarea 12. The pair of side brushes 22, 24 can be oriented generallyperpendicular to the ground, and may be pivoted or cantedinwardly/outward to treat different segments of the vehicle 14, asfurther described below.

The frame 16 may carry a variety of other or different treatmentcomponents, such as foam nozzles and fluid nozzles, which can emit foamor high pressure fluid onto both the top and sides of the vehicle 14 inthe vehicle treatment area 12. It will further be appreciated that theframe 16 may carry or support a variety of other or different vehicletreatment components. The frame 16 may also have a variety of differentconfigurations and may be supported in a variety of suitable ways. Thefoam nozzles and the fluid nozzles, and other vehicle treatmentcomponents attached to the frame 16 may have a variety of differentconfigurations.

According to an aspect, the disclosed vehicle wash system 10 can provideimproved cleaning capabilities without yielding a significant increasein the time of the wash process. According to a further aspect, thedisclosed vehicle wash system 10 can provide a decrease in the timerequired to effectuate a vehicle wash process as compared to priorrollover wash systems. The vehicle wash system 10 can include a controlsystem 30 that is in communication with the frame 16 and the variouswash components to effectuate the vehicle cleaning process. According toan aspect, the control system 30 can include an electronic motorcontroller, a programmable logic controller and a communication networkon which all of the components can communicate. According to anotheraspect, the communication network may be an Ethernet network or awireless network. It will be appreciated that the control system 30 caninclude a variety of other components. The control system 30 can thusallow the various components on the system to talk to one another. Thecontrol system 30 can also allow for the generation of e-mails and othernotifications that can be delivered, including to the operator of thevehicle wash, such as to advise of any faults with the system.

According to a further aspect, the system as an initial step maydetermine a profile of the vehicle 14 in the vehicle treatment area 12to be washed. It will be appreciated that this profiling of the geometryof the vehicle 14 may be accomplished in a variety of ways, including byemploying a variety of sensors or other detection devices. According toan aspect, the geometric profiling may be accomplished in an initialpass of the frame 16 over the vehicle 14. It will also be appreciatedthat the geometric profiling can be accomplished in a variety ofdifferent ways or by multiple passes of the frame 16 over the vehicle14. According to a further aspect, the geometric profiling can beaccomplished when the vehicle 14 enters the vehicle wash facility or thevehicle treatment area to eliminate a preliminary mapping or profilingpass of the frame.

According to an aspect, once the vehicle exterior has been mapped by thecontrol system 30, it can use this information to dynamically increasethe travel speed of the frame 16 along the overhead rail system 18 asappropriate to speed up the wash process. With a roll over wash system,speed of the process is important as, the shorter the wash process, themore processes that can be completed in a given day, which means morerevenue for a wash operator.

According to an aspect, with the mapped vehicle exterior, the controlsystem 30 can divide the vehicle into individual segments and then canadjust the position of the top brush 20 and its travel speed asdisclosed in more detail in Applicant's concurrently filed patentapplication entitled “VEHICLE WASH SYSTEM HAVING A MULTI-SPEED CAR WASHBRUSH”, which is hereby incorporated by reference as though set forthfully herein. According to an aspect, the control system 30 can vary oradjust the rotational speed of the brushes 22, 24 based on theirlocation with respect to certain vehicle segments. Thus, the linearmovement speed of the components and their rotational speed can bedynamically varied depending upon vehicle geometry and other factors. Itwill also be appreciated that different types of vehicles can havedifferent segments. Exemplary segments can include the following: (i)front fender, (ii) upper glass area; (iii) mid-section area; (iv) rockerarea; (v) rear fender; (vi) rear bumper; (vii) rear glass; (viii) frontbumper. The control system 30 can obviously take into account a varietyof other segments, and can further detected other vehicle geometry suchas side mirrors, antennas, ornamentation, or other protruding vehicleelements, which can be avoided during certain passes of the sidebrushes, 22, 24 if desired.

According to an aspect, and with reference to FIG. 11, each of the sidebrushes 22, 24 can include a hub portion 32 and a plurality of washmedia elements 34 disposed around and in communication with the hubportion 32. Each hub portion 32 may be in communication with a driveaxle 36 that is secured to or otherwise coupled to the hub portion 32 toeffect rotation thereof. Preferably, the plurality of wash mediaelements 34 are coupled to or secured to the hub portion 32. The driveaxle 36 may be in communication with a power source such as a motor 38.It will be appreciated that a variety of suitable power sources may beemployed to effect rotation of the side brushes 22, 24. According to anaspect, the wash media elements 34 may be constructed of an EVA foam andmay be generally self-supporting along their length. An exemplary mediaelement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,990,993, which is owned by theAssignee of the present application. It will be appreciated that thewash media elements may have a variety of different shapes andconfigurations and may be constructed from a variety of differentmaterials.

According to an aspect, the power source 38 for each side brush 22, 24may be in communication with a motor controller, which is incommunication with the control system 30. The drive axle 36 can definean axis of rotation and each side brush 22, 24 may be actuated such thatthe orientation of the axis of rotation of each drive axle 36 may varyas dictated by the control system 30. According to an aspect, the driveaxle 36 may be pivoted generally between different discrete positions.In a neutral position, shown in FIGS. 4 and 11, the drive axle 36 may beoriented such that the axis of rotation is generally perpendicular tothe ground.

In an outwardly canted position, shown in FIGS. 7 and 13, the drive axle36 may be oriented or tilted such that the axis of rotation is angledoutwardly whereby a lower end 40 of the drive axle 36 is disposedfurther outwardly from the vehicle treatment area 12 than an upper end42 of the drive axle 36.

In an inwardly canted position, shown in FIGS. 6 and 12, the drive axle36 may be oriented or tilted such that the axis of rotation is angledinwardly whereby the lower end 40 of the drive axle 36 is disposedfurther inwardly from the vehicle treatment area 12 than an upper end 42of the drive axle 36.

With reference to FIGS. 10-13, the drive axle 36 may be pivoted about apivot point 66 disposed at an upper end by pivoting the motor assembly38 and axle 36 with respect to the frame 16. The pivoting may beaccomplished by an actuator 43, such as a hydraulic cylinder, which maypush or pull on a link 67 that is coupled to the axle 36 and motor 38. Avariety of other suitable actuators may be employed. The drive axle 36may also be pivoted in a variety of other suitable ways. The actuator 43may be referred to as a multi-position actuator, two-position actuator,three-position actuator, or the like. The actuator 43 may include twohydraulic units or pistons, with one or the other being actuated tocause an inward or outward pivoted position of the side brushes 22, 24.As shown throughout the Figures, the actuator 43 may be a three-positionactuator, but it will be appreciated that other actuators may also beused.

According to another aspect, a novel connection of the drive axle 36 tothe hub portion 32 is disclosed. Current vehicle wash brushes typicallyinclude a hub portion 32 with a hollow interior that can receive a driveaxle 36 therethrough. A plurality of intermediate spider portionsgenerally extend between and connect the hub portion 32 to the driveaxle 36 to secure and connect them so the hub portion 32 rotates withthe drive axle 36 to rotate the attached wash media elements 34. Thesedrive axle/hub portion combinations are very heavy and also expensivedue to the amount of material required for a full axle and spiderportions. According to an aspect, the hub portion 32 can be formed witha plurality of internal threads that can receive a stub hub in threadedengagement to effect securement and coupling of these structures withthe stub hub having corresponding threads. To ensure permanentsecurement an adhesive such as an aerospace grade adhesive can beemployed on the threads of the hub and stub. Additionally, a metal pincan also be employed through the hub portion and the stub hub forfurther securement. This stub thread arrangement eliminates the need fora full drive axle 36 as well as the intermediate spiders, which providessignificant weight, cost, and material savings. In other words, the stubhub terminates at the bottom of the threads and is connected to the hub32 without spiders. It will be appreciated that a variety of othersuitable hub arrangements may be employed.

As will be appreciated, each side brush 22, 24, may be carried on theframe 16 by a carrier support portion 46, which may also be referred toas a head unit or carrier 46, as the frame 16 is linearly translatedforwardly and rearwardly over the top of the vehicle 14 such that theside brushes 22, 24 may travel along and engage the side of eachvehicle. The carrier 46 may translate laterally inward and outward alongthe rails of the frame 16 to position the side brushes 22, 24 at theappropriate lateral location depending on the width of the vehicle to betreated and a particular canted or pivoted position of the side brushes22, 24.

For example, when the side brushes 22, 24 are canted inwardly, thecarrier 46 may be moved laterally outward, and when the side brushes 22,24 are canted outwardly, the carrier 46 may be translated laterallyinward. When the side brushes 22, 24 are oriented vertically, thecarrier 46 may be disposed laterally between its positions thatcorrespond to the inwardly or outwardly canted positions. FIGS. 4-7illustrate the different lateral positions of the carrier 46 dependingon the pivoted position of the side brushes. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the sidebrushes 22, 24 in a nominal position. FIG. 6 shows the carrier 46 movedlaterally outward when the side brushes 22, 24 are pivoted inwardly.FIG. 7 shows the carrier 46 moved laterally inward when the side brushes22, 24 are pivoted outwardly.

As will be understood, from a nominal position in which the side brushes22, 24 are oriented vertically and in contact with the outermost portionof the vehicle 14, if the brushes were canted outwardly, the brushes 22,24 would move away from the vehicle 14, and therefore moving the carrier46 inward brings the side brushes 22, 24 back into contact with the sideof the vehicle 14. Similarly, if the brushes 22, 24 were cantedinwardly, the brushes 22, 24 can impact the vehicle if the carrier 46does not shift laterally outward.

As the side brushes 22, 24, travel along the side of the vehicle 14 theymay be oriented in either the neutral or inwardly/outwardly cantedpositions. According to an aspect, in a first pass of the frame 16 overthe vehicle, the side brushes 22, 24 may be oriented in the neutralposition in order to effectively clean generally vertical side surfacesof the vehicle 14. According to still another aspect, in a second passof the frame 16 over the vehicle the side brushes 22, 24 may be disposedin an outwardly canted position, to effectively engage and clean upperportions of the vehicle sides, such as windows. According to an aspect,the side brushes 22, 24 may be oriented in the inwardly canted positionduring a further pass of the frame 16 over a vehicle such that a lowerportion of each of the side brushes 22, 24 can engage a lower portion ofthe vehicle sides, such as rocker panels. The brushes 22, 24 are shownthroughout the Figures in different canted positions for treatingdifferent segments of the vehicle. In many Figures, the brushes 22, 24are shown not to be in contact with the vehicle, but these illustrationsare for clarity, and it will be appreciated that to clean the surfacesof the vehicle 14 that the brushes 22, 24 would indeed be in contactwith the surfaces of the vehicle.

Thus, the control system 30 may position the side brushes 22, 24 indifferent positions with respect to vehicle sides such that withseparate passes of the frame 16 over the vehicle 14, the side brushes22, 24 may clean and engage different portions of a vehicle side surfaceduring the process. It will be appreciated that the control system 30may orient the side brushes 22, 24 at different angles within eachposition and particularly the outwardly canted positions. For example,the angle of the outward cant may be larger when the side brush 22 or 24is engaging the front portion of the vehicle relative to the angle ofthe outward cant when the side brush 22 or 24 is engaging the windowportion of the vehicle. Obviously, the amount of pivot or canting candepend on the vehicle profile. It will further be appreciated that theorder of each of those positions for the various passes can vary. Forexample, the inwardly canted pass, the outwardly canted pass, or theneutral pass may be performed first, second, or third, and may berepeated. In another aspect, the pivot or canting may change during eachpass depending on the vehicle segment being treated.

According to still another aspect, when the carrier support portions 46for the side brushes 22, 24 reach the rear of the vehicle, the carriersupport portions 46 may translate the side brushes 22, 24 inwardly alongthe frame 16 to traverse the rear surfaces of the vehicle 14. The samedrive mechanism that shifts the carrier 46 when the brushes 22, 24 arecanted may be employed to move the carrier 45 along the rear surface ofthe vehicle 14. The side brushes 22, 24 may be oriented verticallyduring this pass along the rear surface. When traversing the rearsurface of the vehicle, the side brushes 22, 24 can be tilted into twopositions. In one pass of the rear vehicle surface, the drive axle 36may be oriented in a first position whereby it is generally verticalsuch that the side brushes are also generally vertical. In a second passof the rear vehicle surface, the side brushes 22, 24 may be orientedgenerally outwardly in order to effectively clean a rear vehicle windowof the SUV. To achieve this canted position, the frame 16 may be pivotedrelative to the rail system 18. To the extent, the control system 30senses that the vehicle in the vehicle treatment area 12 is a truck orvehicle, the side brushes may only be oriented in a vertical positiononly for a single pass. It will also be appreciated that according toanother aspect, the control system 30 may be configured such that onlyone side brush 22, 24 traverses the rear portion of the vehicle 14 toeffect cleaning.

According to another aspect, the side brushes 22, 24 may also traversethe front surface of a vehicle. However, because most front vehiclesurfaces are generally vertical, only a single pass of one or both ofthe brushes 22, 24 in a generally vertical orientation may be necessary.It will additionally be appreciated that the magnitude of the angles andpositions of the brushes along the front, back and side surfaces canvary depending upon the type of vehicle sensed in the vehicle treatmentarea, i.e., vehicle, truck or SUV.

In another aspect, the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle 14 may betreated by the top brush 20, and the side brushes 22, 24 may remain inlaterally outer positions.

The side brushes 22, 24 may have a generally constant diameter, takinginto account the lengths of the wash media 34. Put another way, the hub32 or axle 36 may have a generally constant diameter, and the wash media34 may have a generally constant length. In this approach, when thebrushes 22, 24 are rotated about their axis and the wash media 34 extendoutwardly in response to the rotational forces, the profile of thebrushes 22, 24 will have a generally constant diameter. The ability ofthe brushes 22, 24 to tilt between the neutral position relative to thecanted positions thereby allows the brushes 22, 24 to contact thevarying surface contours of the vehicle. Prior side brushes, such asthose shown in FIG. 3, have included upper and/or lower portions withlarger or contoured shapes relative to the lower portion to account forthe side glass or windows of the vehicle. But these prior brushes wouldtherefore have a different surface speed per minute (SFPM) at the largerportions relative to the smaller portions for a given rotational speed.Accordingly, this could result in increased noise due to the increasedSFPM. Reducing the SFPM of the larger portion to reduce the noise wouldresult in an SFPM of the lower portion that is lower than desired. Bycanting the side brushes 22, 24 with a generally constant diameter, theSFPM may be kept generally consistent for a given rotational speed.

It will be appreciated that the brushes 22, 24 may still have a varyingdiameter in some cases. For example, as shown in the Figures, theuppermost portion of the brushes 22, 24 has a slightly larger diameterthan the remainder of the brush. The slightly larger diameter does notsubstantially alter the SFPM of the brush, and the ability of thebrushes 22, 24 to be canted outwardly allows for the increase indiameter to be limited, unlike the prior art brushes that remainedvertical and had to account for various vehicle geometries.

The side brushes 22, 24 may be controllable by the control system 30 inresponse to mapping the vehicle exterior and determining the vehiclegeometry. The control system 30 can therefore determine when to pivot orcant the side brushes 22, 24 and when to position the side brushes 22,24 vertically based on a position of the side brushes 22, 24 relative tothe vehicle 14. For example, at a front portion of the vehicle sidesurface, the brushes may be oriented vertically. At a middle portion,such as the area where the windows are located, the brushes 22, 24 maybe canted, and at a rear portion after passing the windows, the sidebrushes 22, 24 may be oriented vertically again. However, the sidebrushes 22, 24 may also remain in one of the neutral or canted positionsthroughout the length of the pass, and multiple passes may be made tocontact multiple surfaces of the vehicle. It will be appreciated thatthere are various combinations of pivoting and numbers of passes thatmay be employed for different vehicle shapes.

In one aspect, even when multiple passes are made as described above,the side brushes 22, 24 may be oriented vertically during the cantedpass in areas where canting is not necessary, such as the front andrear. Alternatively, the canted pass may be limited to the area wherecanting is necessary.

During operation of the side brushes 22, 24, the control system 30 mayreceive position feedback from the side brushes 22, 24 to determine whento cant the brushes 22, 24 and when to shift the brushes 22, 24 based onthe detected vehicle contour. The control system 30 can thereforeaccurately position the side brushes 22, 24 to provide an optimalwashing operation, and can achieve high washing accuracy withoutrequiring more complicated torque control feedback.

The angles of the pivoting and canting may vary depending on the vehiclegeometry. The inward canting may be at a different angle that the angleused for the outward canting, or the angle of canting may vary during apass or between passes.

The canting angles, for both the inward canting and outward canting maybe preset based on detected generic vehicle body type, or may beadjusted based on the body shape of the specific vehicle. For example,if a sedan is detected, the outward cant angle may be greater than if aSUV is detected. Alternatively, the canting angles may be preset andapplied regardless of the vehicle body type, with a cant angle selectedthat is effective for a range of window angles and rocker areas.

With reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, the canting angle of the outwardlycanted orientation may also be self-adjusted based on the shape of thevehicle being treated, and without a specific controlled angle. Theself-adjusted outwardly canted position may be achieved in response toshifting the carrier 46 laterally inward along the rails of the frame16. For example, the carrier 46 maybe moved inwardly over the top of thevehicle 14, and the brush 22, 24 may contact the side of the vehicle 14,causing the brush 22, 24 to pivot relative to the carrier 46. In thisapproach, the actuator 43 may be set to an inactive state, in which thepistons of the actuator may freely move within their housing. Putanother way, the brushes 22, 24 may be free to swing relative to theirpivot point 66 at the carrier 46. FIGS. 14 and 15 show two differentoutwardly canted positions based on different types and shapes of thevehicle 14 being treated. FIG. 15 is pivoted more than FIG. 14. Theactuator 43 is illustrated as being at 0 psi.

In yet another aspect, as shown in FIG. 16, the outwardly cantedorientation may be used at a beginning and/or ending stage of thewashing process, in which the brushes 22, 24 are outwardly canted priorto the vehicle 14 entering the vehicle treatment area 12 or aftertreatment is concluded. In this approach, the brushes 22, 24 are“opened” to increase the drive through visibility of the wash system 10.Once the vehicle is in position to be washed, the brushes 22, 24 may beadjusted to one of the other orientations and positioned into engagementwith the vehicle 14 as described above. When the treatment is complete,the brushes 22, 24 may be canted outwardly as the vehicle 14 exits. Thisoutward canting may be performed with or without the carriers 46 beingmoved further outward.

In the above description, the vehicle 14 remained stationary within thevehicle treatment area 12. However, it will be appreciated that theabove described movement and pivoting of the side brushes 22, 24relative to the vehicle body 14 may still occur even if the vehicle 14is being conveyed. The side brushes 22, 24 may still be controlled to bepivoted based on the relative movement between the vehicle 14 and thebrushes 22, 24 that defines the passes.

Note that not all of the activities described above in the generaldescription or the examples are required, that a portion of a specificactivity may not be required, and that one or more further activitiesmay be performed in addition to those described. Still further, theorders in which activities are listed are not necessarily the order inwhich they are performed.

The specification and illustrations of the embodiments described hereinare intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of thevarious embodiments. The specification and illustrations are notintended to serve as an exhaustive and comprehensive description of allof the elements and features of apparatus and systems that use thestructures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may beapparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure.Other embodiments may be used and derived from the disclosure, such thata structural substitution, logical substitution, or another change maybe made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly,the disclosure is to be regarded as illustrative rather thanrestrictive.

Certain features are, for clarity, described herein in the context ofseparate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a singleembodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity,described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be providedseparately or in any sub combination. Further, reference to valuesstated in ranges includes each and every value within that range.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have beendescribed above with regard to specific embodiments. However, thebenefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that maycause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeature of any or all the claims.

The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, andnot restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover any andall such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments that fallwithin the scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extentallowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determinedby the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims andtheir equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited by theforegoing detailed description.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detailabove, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that manymodifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments withoutmaterially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of theembodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of theembodiments of the present disclosure as defined in the followingclaims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to coverthe structures described herein as performing the recited function andnot only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle washing system, comprising: a sidebrush disposed adjacent a vehicle treatment area, the vehicle treatmentarea having a vertical height, a longitudinal length, and a lateralwidth and configured to receive a vehicle to be washed, the side brushdefining a central axis about which the side brush rotates, the centralaxis extending between a top end and a bottom end of the side brush; abrush shaft extending along the central axis and supporting the sidebrush, wherein the orientation of the brush shaft controls theorientation of the side brush; the brush shaft being pivotable betweenat least three positions including: a first position, wherein the brushshaft is oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal length of thevehicle treatment area, a second position, wherein the brush shaft isoriented at an oblique angle relative to the first position such thatthe bottom portion of the brush shaft is disposed laterally outwardrelative to the top portion of the brush shaft, and a third position,wherein the brush shaft is oriented at an oblique angle relative to thefirst position such that the bottom portion of the brush shaft isdisposed laterally inward relative to the top portion of the brushshaft; and a control system in communication with the brush shaft toeffect movement thereof between the first position and the secondposition in response to a configuration of the vehicle.
 2. The system ofclaim 1 further comprising: a frame disposed adjacent the vehicletreatment area and configured for supporting vehicle treatmentcomponents; and the side brush being pivotally coupled to the frame in aposition to engage a vehicle in the vehicle treatment area.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2, wherein the frame is supported by an overhead railsystem, and the frame is movable in a longitudinal direction relative tothe rail system.
 4. The system of claim 2, further comprising: a carrierportion coupled to the frame and the side brush, wherein the carrierportion is translatable laterally relative to the frame and the frame istranslatable longitudinally relative to the vehicle treatment area,wherein the carrier portion translates longitudinally along with theframe and the side brush translates laterally along with the carrierportion.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein, in the first position, apivot point of the side brush is positioned a first lateral location, inthe second position, the pivot point is positioned at a second laterallocation that is different than the first lateral location, and, in thethird position, the pivot point is positioned at a third laterallocation that is different than the first and second lateral locations.6. The system of claim 1, wherein, the side brush includes a firstlongitudinal location relative to the vehicle and a second longitudinallocation relative to the vehicle.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein theside brush is in the first position in both the first and secondlongitudinal locations.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein the side brushis in the second position in both the first and second longitudinallocations.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the side brush is in thethird position in both the first and second longitudinal locations. 10.The system of claim 4, wherein when the side brush is in the secondposition the carrier portion is shifted laterally inward relative to thefirst position.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the side brush movesfrom the first position to the second position when the side brush isnon-actuated and in response to translating the carrier portionlaterally inward and in response to the side brush contacting an angledsurface of the vehicle.
 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the sidebrushes moves from the first position to the second position in responseto actuation from an actuator and independent of contact with thevehicle.
 13. The system of claim 4, wherein the side brush is pivotedoutward and shifted laterally outward and disengaged with the vehiclefor providing clearance for the vehicle to enter or exit the vehicletreatment area.
 14. The system of claim 2, wherein the system includesvehicle sensors in communication with the controller, the sensorsconfigured to detect a configuration of the vehicle body.
 15. The systemof claim 4, wherein the vehicle sensors are attached to the frame, andthe sensors move with the frame to detect the configuration of thevehicle body.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle sensorsare fixed relative to the vehicle treatment area.
 17. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising feedback sensors in communication with thecontrol system, wherein the feedback sensors detect a position of thebrush relative to the vehicle.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein theside brush includes a plurality of media wash elements extendingradially outward from the brush shaft, wherein when the plurality ofmedia wash elements are fully extended radially outward the media washelements define an outer diameter of the side brush.
 19. The system ofclaim 18, wherein the outer diameter of the side brush is generallyconstant along a majority of its length.
 20. A method for treating avehicle body in a vehicle washing system, the method comprising:providing a vehicle having a vehicle body within a vehicle treatmentarea of a vehicle washing system, wherein the vehicle treatment area hasa vertical height, a longitudinal length, and a lateral width;positioning a side brush in a first orientation vertically within thevehicle treatment area, wherein the side brush rotates about a centralshaft thereof that is supported by an overhead frame; contacting avertically oriented portion of the vehicle body with the side brush whenthe side brush is in the first orientation; pivoting the side brush intoa second orientation about a pivot point disposed at a top portion ofthe side brush, and orienting the side brush at an oblique anglerelative to the vertical axis, wherein a bottom portion of the sidebrush is disposed laterally outward relative to the top portion of theside brush; contacting an angled portion of the vehicle body with theside brush when the side brush is in the second orientation; pivotingthe side brush into a third orientation about a pivot point disposed ata top portion of the side brush, and orienting the side brush at anoblique angle relative to the vertical axis, wherein a bottom portion ofthe side brush is disposed laterally inward relative to the top portionof the side brush; contacting an lower portion of the vehicle body withthe side brush when the side brush is in the third orientation;detecting an exterior configuration of the vehicle; and controlling theposition of the side brush in either the first position or the secondposition in response to a detected exterior configuration of thevehicle.
 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising translating theside brush longitudinally along a side portion of the vehicle body. 22.The method of claim 20, further comprising translating the side brushlaterally along a front or rear portion of the vehicle body.
 23. Themethod of claim 21, wherein the side brush is in the first orientationduring the translating of the side brush.
 24. The method of claim 21,wherein the side brush is in the second orientation during thetranslating of the side brush.
 25. The method of claim 21, wherein theside brush moves between the first orientation and the secondorientation during the translating.
 26. The method of claim 21, whereinthe side brush is in the third orientation during the translating of theside brush.
 27. The method of claim 20, further comprising detecting,via sensors in communication with a controller, a vehicle bodyconfiguration.
 28. The method of claim 27, further comprisingtranslating the sensors relative to the vehicle body.
 29. The method ofclaim 28, wherein the sensors pass over the vehicle body when thevehicle body is stationary.
 30. The method of claim 28, wherein thevehicle body passes under the sensors when the sensors are stationary.31. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining, via acontroller, a location of the vehicle body to avoid with the side brush,and moving the side brush away from the vehicle body at the location ofthe vehicle body to avoid.
 32. The method of claim 27, furthercomprising determining, via a controller, vertical portions of thevehicle and angled portions of the vehicle, and controlling theorientation of the side brush depending on the position of the sidebrush relative to the vertical portions and angled portions.
 33. Themethod of claim 20, wherein the translating the side brushlongitudinally along a side portion of the vehicle body includestranslating the side brush in a first longitudinal direction with theside brush in the first orientation and translating the side brush in asecond longitudinal direction that is opposite the first longitudinaldirection with the side brush in the second or third orientation. 34.The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving, at a controller,feedback from the side brush and adjusting the position and/ororientation of the side brush relative to the vehicle in response toreceiving the feedback.
 35. The method of claim 20, further comprisingtranslating the pivot point laterally inward and, in response thereto,contacting an angled surface of the vehicle and, in response tocontacting the angled surface of the vehicle, pivoting the side brushinto the second orientation.
 36. The method of claim 20 furthercomprising positioning the side brush in the second orientation prior toproviding the vehicle in the vehicle treatment area.
 37. The method ofclaim 20, wherein the translating the side brush longitudinally along aside portion of the vehicle body includes translating the side brush ina first pass, a second pass, and a third pass, wherein the side brush isin the first position during the first pass, in the second positionduring the second pass, and in the third position during the third pass.38. A vehicle washing system, comprising: a side brush disposed adjacenta vehicle treatment area, the vehicle treatment area having a verticalheight, a longitudinal length, and a lateral width and configured toreceive a vehicle to be washed, the side brush defining an axis aboutwhich the side brush rotates, the axis extending between a top portionand a bottom portion of the side brush; a brush shaft extending alongthe central axis and supporting the side brush, wherein the orientationof the brush shaft controls the orientation of the side brush; the sidebrush being pivotable between at least three positions including a firstposition, wherein the side brush is oriented generally vertically, asecond position, wherein the side brush is pivoted relative to the firstposition such that the bottom portion of the side brush is disposedlaterally outward relative to the top portion of the side brush, and athird position, wherein the side brush is pivoted relative to the firstposition such that the bottom portion of the side brush is disposedlaterally inward relative to the top portion of the side brush.